Thursday, June 29, 2006

In an interview in a year 2000 Issue of the Britannia Magazine, Dr. Philip Pedley (then the Director of the National Archive) said, "there seemed to be a general feeling in the 1970's, as development began to pick up, that in order to move forward, you had to forget the past - the past could be a kind of a hindrance. In the 1980's, however, there was a feeling that things had been moving too fast and that there was a need to stand back and to take stock"

It is very interesting, and instructive, that in the year 2006 we are still trying to come to grips, in Vision 2008 Strategic Plan and otherwise, on how to enhance the cultural identity of these Islands.  Intentions are all fine and good, but it is the translation of those intentions into concrete items - that can make the difference between becoming a vibrant and sustaining culture, or falling behind in an ever-changing world and ceasing to be a player at all.

How then can we build a lasting culture and promote the identity of the Caymanian heritage and arts in a sustainable and effective fashion? How can we voluntarily attract tourists and non-Caymanian residents to authentically embrace the Caymanian culture and artistic offerings and not try to dilute it, or dismiss it instead for their own "comfort zones'.

I will be the first to admit that not in all cases do non-Caymanian residents (expatriates) and/or tourists shy away from becoming engaged in Cayman's culture and arts simply because it is in an embryonic state. In fact, it is encouraging that more and more expatriate residents are embracing our cultural and artistic offerings, especially in the Theatre; this may be in part due to the good job which has been done by the CNCF and its friends to make the Caymanian cultural and artistic expression more visible, and more importantly to practice the Caymanian culture of inclusion rather than exclusion.

There are however some expatriate workers who certainly make no effort at all to learn about or appreciate the culture and heritage of their host country. It seems as if a number of very definite sub-cultures are emerging. Often when a Caymanian visits a nightclub, or sports bar / lounge in the metropolitan area, he must feel that he is in a different country - maybe somewhere in North America or Europe. There appears to be no attempt to interact with the locals in these instances, and there appears to be total insensitivity to any form of cultural diversity. Additionally, from the perspective of the tourist, they may also experience cultural deprivation because everywhere they turn, in the shops, bars, restaurants, hotels, they are bound to see very few Caymanians. There are certainly good reasons for this, it is simply a matter of labour economics (supply & demand), but it also certainly presents a challenge for a rich cultural experience that many tourists expect.

I am a great believer in diversity. I believe that visitors and non-Caymanian residents can learn a lot from the Caymanian culture, and Caymanians in turn can learn from those other rich cultures. When I lived overseas during my university days, and when I visit other countries I make a conscious effort to learn about their cultures and what "makes them tick".  I also believe that the respect for all cultures is important for social harmony.

In an increasingly "global village", many successful corporations are now viewing diversity and cultural differences as tools to be leveraged for business success, rather than obstacles to be overcome. These organizations also now seem to believe that, strong as their corporate culture may be, the template for the behaviour of the organization or its employees is not narrowly-focused, but from the national culture. These successful and leading global organizations are also of the view that an inclusive climate increases profitability and productivity. A cultural diversity study called "Global Literacies", pointed out that the most globally successful companies are clearly those that have learned to be culturally confident enough to teach the world and culturally humble enough to learn from the rest of the world.

At this stage, the question must be: what is the practical application of cultural diversity in the Caymanian context. I think that the application is that we must respect all cultures, but we must make the Caymanian culture so tastefully attractive that Caymanians will support the various events and efforts, and tourists and foreign residents will be attracted to become fully engaged in it.

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do" as the famous saying goes may appear to contradict the argument of diversity which I have just advanced. However, I think that in some cases we must draw a similar line on some issues. Take for example the arguments advanced by some foreign and Caymanian business-people, in pursuit of the almighty dollar, that we should abolish our traditional conservative music and dancing laws (opening hours especially), we should abolish our Sunday Trading Laws, and we should allow national gaming (gambling and lotteries).  There are some who feel that they can have loud music emanating from late night "sessions", ear-drum bursting music emanating from their cars, and loud music which incites hatred and violence emanating from even public places - this is not the Cayman that I know, and this is not the cultural expression that has made us a leading tourist destination or a tranquil society thus far. There are even those who suggest we should dilute our Christian heritage and condone the homosexual life-style, simply to be expedient.  How can we reconcile these radical economic initiatives with our cultural norms and core values of being a Christian, peaceful, family-oriented, and conservative society?

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